The City of Hollywood’s Office of Communications, Marketing & Economic Development (CMED) is open for business, compiling information to assist Hollywood businesses throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage you to check the City of Hollywood’s webpage, sign up for City and Business email/text updates, and follow us on Facebook. Our team is available to talk you through any of your business-related issues. Contact us at 954.921.3620 or by email.
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Is Your Commercial Property Ready For An Update? Would $25,000 Help?
The Commercial Property Improvement Program (CPIP) is an incentive program designed to improve the facades of publicly or privately owned commercial or industrial buildings along specific commercial corridors. This program is based on the premise that exterior improvements to commercial buildings in highly visible locations will stimulate private investment, attract customers, and result in new economic opportunities. Grant funding is available to commercial and industrial property owners that intend to restore, renovate or improve their property. Click here for more information on CPIP.
Interested participants are encouraged to watch a Public Information Session recording to learn how to apply for this reimbursable grant (see below).
CPIP Public Information Sessions
Wednesday, June 9 • 3:00 p.m. • Watch the Recording
Wednesday, June 16 • 11:00 a.m. • Watch the Recording
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Free Business Assistance Programs For City Residents And Business Owners
The City of Hollywood’s Office of Communications, Marketing + Economic Development has recently entered into a partnership with Broward SCORE to provide educational and advisory services to City residents and small business owners through December 2021.
This partnership is a part of the City’s “Backing Business” initiative, as these supportive programs aim to help the City’s economy grow during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources available to the City’s start-up and small business community include:
| Advanced Business Solutions Team: Broward SCORE provides a team of seasoned business specialists to help your existing small businesses identify growth opportunities, solve problems, and plan for the future. Through a series of meetings, the Advanced Business Solutions Team works with your management team to devise a plan for achieving your objectives.
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| One-on-One Business Mentoring: Broward SCORE offers personal remote mentoring sessions with local seasoned business professionals who are committed to helping our local business community stronger through these difficult times. Book your phone or video mentoring session online. Sessions are typically one-hour in length. Prepare to discuss any opportunities or problems your business may be facing. |
 | Business Education Program: Workshops on a diversity of business topics are scheduled throughout the remainder of the year and will be offered virtually utilizing a live webinar format. Many of the webinars will focus on pandemic recovery topics and led by local business professionals with specific knowledge on starting and running businesses in Broward County and the City of Hollywood. |
Founded in 1964, Broward SCORE is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) with over 70 volunteer mentors, workshop presenters, and business support personnel. The chapter offers a diverse program of business support services throughout the year and is provided at no-cost to start-ups, existing businesses, or those who are thinking of starting a business. More information on these exciting new programs can be found here: https://broward.score.org/city-hollywood-cmed
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Missed our Virtual Open House?
Click here to watch the recording and learn about all of the FREE resources available to your Hollywood business.
Password: OpenHouse2021
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SPARK HOLLYWOOD - Attend & Watch the Competition Live!
Are you Interested in getting to know Hollywood Florida's up and coming entrepreneurs? Here's your opportunity! Our SPARK Hollywood contestants who were selected as finalists, will pitch their ideas to investors and innovators during the upcoming SPARK Hollywood Pitch Competition.
The ‘quick-pitch competition’ features entrepreneurs and new ventures competing for cash prizes by giving a three-minute presentation of their innovative business proposal to a panel of judges comprised of local investors and business professionals. SPARK Hollywood FL aims to bridge the gap between investors, businesses, and entrepreneurs.
The annual SPARK Pitch Competition will be held on May 26th at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1770 Monroe Street.
Register to attend the pitch competition: www.sparkhollywoodfl.com
For more information, please visit: www.sparkhollywoodfl.com
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8a Contracting Certification & Eligibility
- This webinar focuses on the benefits of this program. It also covers the eligibility requirements necessary to participate.
- The 8(a) Business Development Program is a business assistance program for small disadvantaged businesses. The 8(a) Program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
- There are substantial benefits of partaking in the program, such as the consideration and preference for government procurement.
- The 8(a) Program is an essential instrument for helping socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain access to the economic mainstream of American society. The program helps thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs to gain a foothold in government contracting.
Tuesday, May 10 • 11AM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Franchising: What You Need to Know
Are you a small business owner looking to franchise? Are you an entrepreneur interested to purchase a franchise? This dynamic workshop will give you key business and legal insights to make an informed decision on franchising. In particular, the workshop will cover:
• Outline franchising options
• Pro’s & Con’s of franchising
• How to evaluate franchise opportunities
• Preparing a business to be franchised
Tuesday, May 10 • 1PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Grow Your Business on LinkedIn Without Spending a Dime
This webinar will focus on how companies can leverage LinkedIn to build their credibility and business leads without spending a dime.
The topics covered in the webinar include:
• Get your social selling score and see how you compare within your industry and network
• Learn how to create a business page on LinkedIn
• Establishing the goals for your business presence on LinkedIn
• Connecting with the target companies, job titles, and influencers in your “space”
• Creating a pillar and cluster content strategy to support your business goals
• Find out how to get more mileage from your posts (from hundreds to thousands of views)
• Learn the Pros and Cons of hosting an event on LinkedIn
Tuesday, May 10 • 6PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Effective Employee Selection, Interviewing & Hiring
Learn how to hire good people. Selection and interviewing skills can be learned. Your employees can make or break you. Whether you have 1, 10, 20, or more, this workshop will develop the skills you can use immediately to select & hire the right kind of people.
Workshop objectives include:
- Determining desired candidate skills and abilities based on business needs
- Evaluating resumes
- Phone screening
- Preparing and leading a candidate interview
- Making a decision on your best fit candidate
Learn from an expert the basic strategies that you can use immediately to make your selection process more effective.
Wednesday, May 11 • 5PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Introducción a QuickBooks
Aprenda como implementar y usar Quickbooks eficiente y efectivamente para organizarse con las finanzas de su negocio. En este taller, va a aprender acerca de las diferentes versiones de QuickBooks, configurar la plataforma, y usar las herramientas mas importantes.
- Navegación y configuración
- Cuentas contables
- Cuentas bancarias y tarjetas de crédito
- Productos y servicios
- Clientes y proveedores
- Estimados y ventas
- Gastos y facturas
- Empleados y nómina
- Reportes
Wednesday, May 11 • 1PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
SEO Strategies to Improve Your Google Rankings
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a major component of online marketing. This seminar will teach you how to develop an effective SEO strategy for your business. More specifically, attendees will learn: • basic SEO terminology • how a website is indexed • how to conduct keyword research • on-page optimization strategies • developing quality content
Thursday, May 12 • 10AM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
Sourcing Capital For Your Small Business
Innovative strategies for getting the money you need for your business. The goal of this workshop is to prepare you to get the funding that you need to start your business or to grow and expand it. This is an interactive seminar where participants will share their objectives with the presenter. In this workshop, we will walk you through the basics of: Bank Lending Venture and Angel capital Alternative Financing Strategies Private Investors The participant will leave the workshop with an understanding of what banks and investors are looking for when providing capital to small businesses.
Thursday, May 12 • 6PM • Webinar • Free • Register Here
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SBA and Treasury Announce Simpler PPP Forgiveness for Loans of $50,000 or Less
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
The Treasury and SBA have also eased the burden on PPP lenders, allowing lenders to process forgiveness applications more swiftly. On October 2, the SBA began approving PPP forgiveness applications and remitting forgiveness payments to PPP lenders for PPP borrowers.
Click here to view the simpler loan forgiveness application.
Click here to view the instructions for completing the simpler loan forgiveness application.
Click here to view the Interim Final Rule on the simpler forgiveness process for loans of $50,000 or less.
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The South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) has secured funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) to capitalize a small business revolving loan fund for businesses adversely impacted by Coronavirus. These funds, provided pursuant to the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), will be administered by the SFRPC through its Revolving Loan Fund CARES Act Program.
$5,380,000 is available for businesses. Click here to learn more and apply.
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County Loans Available for Small Businesses and Non Profits
The County Commission has approved funding for the Southern Opportunity and Resilience (SOAR) Loan Fund. This funding will provide flexible, affordable capital up to $100,000 and free business support services to small businesses and nonprofits in Broward County to help them navigate and rebuild from the Covid-19 economic crisis. The loans are designed to reach the smallest of small businesses and those that have been historically underbanked, including those in rural areas and those owned by women, people of color, and immigrants. The fund will be administered by NDC on behalf of the County.
NOTE: To be eligible for a SOAR Fund loan, a small business must meet the requirements. The pre-application should be completed and submitted by the owner of the business with the largest ownership interest, and all owners with more than 20% ownership will be required to attest to the information provided. Learn more here: SOAR Fund | Connect2Capital.
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Available Grants and/or Loans and Credit Program
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Safe & Clean Pledge: Show Your Commitment to Safely Welcoming Visitors
As Florida is currently among the top states for COVID-19 cases, and cases nationwide are rising, we need to reinforce and showcase that our entire community has a united front to proactively mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and that we are a safe and welcoming destination for all to enjoy.
Thank you to those of you who have taken the Visit Lauderdale Safe & Clean Pledge! More than 350 businesses have taken the pledge. Together we are instilling confidence among residents and travelers that we are committed to their safety and well-being.
If you haven’t already done so, please consider taking the Visit Lauderdale Safe & Clean Pledge today at sunny.org/pledge. Registration takes very little time, and it is FREE. Taking the pledge aligns with CDC recommended guidelines, and your business will be promoted as part of Visit Lauderdale’s marketing efforts on the program.
Upon taking the pledge, you are invited to display the destination’s clearly stated Safe & Clean protocols. You will receive:
• A downloadable Safe & Clean pledge to print and display
• A physical poster delivered to place of business to display
• The Safe & Clean logo will be added to your listing on sunny.org
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE PLEDGE NOW
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COVID-19 Reopening Guide for Small Businesses
COVID-19 has impacted every business differently, and every business will face tremendous challenges as our nation recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. This guide will walk you through the steps your business will need to take to reopen as restrictions are lifted across the country and your business prepares for the "new normal."
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Hollywood Broadwalk's Expanded Temporary Cafe Zone Has Been Discontinued
Due to the issuance of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Emergency Order 21-102, suspending all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, which includes indoor capacity limits and social distancing requirements, the City of Hollywood’s designated Temporary Café Zone along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk has been discontinued.
As an expansion of the Permanent Café Zone, the City's Temporary Café Zone was in effect to assist Hollywood businesses heavily impacted by COVID-19 safety measures by providing the opportunity to expand their dining areas onto the Broadwalk to allow for additional seating while keeping 6 feet between parties.
Effective immediately, only the area in the Permanent Café Zone indicated below may be utilized for outdoor seating by those businesses with Café Table Permits through the City’s Division of Engineering, Transportation and Mobility. If your business does not currently have a City permit for outdoor seating, please click here for information on how to apply.
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Vacation Rental Changes Are Now In Effect
The City's new changes to the Vacation Rental License Program Ordinance are now in effect. These changes apply to all City properties which currently have a Vacation Rental License, as well as those property owners who are currently using their property as a vacation rental.
To assist property owners with meeting compliance deadlines, the City hosted multiple virtual question and answer sessions in February and March 2021. Staff was on-hand to answer questions related to the vacation rental license program, licensure, inspections requirements and more. You can watch the meeting videos by clicking the links below.
Tuesday, February 23 • 11:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. • Watch the recording
Tuesday, February 23 • 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • Watch the recording
Monday, March 15 • 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. • Watch the recording
Monday, March 29 • 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. • Watch the recording
For more information on the new rules, click here to visit the Vacation Rental License Program webpage. For additional assistance, please contact the Office of Treasury via email at vrl@hollywoodfl.org.
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Upcoming BrowardUP Programming
In addition to Broward College's popular health science courses, BrowardUP is pleased to be offering upcoming remote/online classes in the following areas:
- AWS Cloud Computing
- Project Management
- Process Improvement
- Front Desk Representative
- Supply Chain Customer Service Operations
- And More!
New courses are continually being added. Visit the BrowardUP website today!
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BrowardUP Rapid Credentials Programs
All programs are FREE and take under one year to complete • Eligible students will receive free laptops!
Click here to learn more and apply: BROWARD.EDU/RAPIDS
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The City of Hollywood urges its business community to evaluate the Short-Time Compensation Program in an effort to curtail major layoffs.
The Short-Time Compensation program helps employers retain their workforce in times of temporary slowdown by encouraging work sharing as an alternative to layoff. The program permits prorated reemployment assistance benefits to employees whose work hours and earnings are reduced as part of a Short-Time Compensation Plan to avoid total layoff of some employees. Apply here.
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Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program
Currently, the DEO is not accepting applications for the Emergency Bridge Loan Program. If you have previously applied, check your application status below.
View Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan
Frequently Asked Questions
Check Application Status
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and its emergency bridge loan partners will continue to review applications that are received online or postmarked by Monday, April 13, 2020. DEO and its Emergency Bridge Loan partners will continue to quickly and efficiently process loans for Florida businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19 until available funds are expended.
For questions regarding the loan program, please contact DEO toll-free at 833-832-4494 or email FloridaBusinessLoanFund@deo.myflorida.com.
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Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
Upcoming GHCC Programs & Content: Webinars and online classes, provided by GHCC members and experts, can be viewed here.
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Hospitality Industry Resources
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has compiled resources to assist the hospitality industry affected by COVID-19.
Attractions, tours, restaurants and any tourism business providing virtual tours, learning experiences, cooking demonstrations, entertainment, musical performances, etc. through videos or social media live streams, may fill out this form to be included in the Virtual Vacation Experiences page.
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Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance
Businesses can request a virtual meeting with the Alliance regarding business preservation assistance, including low- or no-interest loan opportunities and short time compensation for employers. Additionally, the Alliance has compiled business resources here.
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Additional Online Resources
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Links to these established programs can be found on the City’s Economic Development website. Please continue to monitor www.hollywoodfl.org and www.choosehollywoodfl.com for the latest updates.
Economic Development Division
Raelin Storey, CMED Director
Herb Conde-Parlato, Economic Development Manager
Tekisha Jordan, Principal Planner
Marina Melo, Economic Development Representative
Janelle Richards, Economic Development Marketing Coordinator
Community Redevelopment Agency - Beach & Downtown Districts
Jorge Camejo, Executive Director
954.924.2980